Spring clean your home, spring clean your mind

Never underestimate the importance of giving your house a thorough spring clean every year – not just to get things spick and span, but crucially, to give your mind and soul a ‘deep clean’ too.

De-cluttering can be a surprisingly emotional experience, as witnessed on TV programmes such as ‘Life Laundry’ and ‘How Clean Is Your House?’, where psychological issues and destructive behaviour patterns are often brought to light where once they were hidden by excessive hoarding or messiness.

Our homes are not only the place that 62% of people consider the most important in the world, but they are often the most expensive purchase we will ever make, so it pays to invest a little time and money into getting everything in order.

Sorting out what to hold onto and what to get rid of can be tough, so to ensure the blitz is undertaken with the ruthlessness and vigour it requires, getting an expert to help can be a wise decision. My Interior Stylist offer homeowners the emotional support and designer know-how they need to get their homes – and wellbeing – back on track.

Based on their experiences of using design and decluttering to help divorcee’s, stressed-out mums and newlyweds alike, the company have devised the following essential tips:

• Use it or lose it! If you haven’t used something for over two years, get rid of it. If you’re holding on to things you don’t like just because they have financial value, sell them on eBay and buy something you really love instead with the proceeds.

• A place for everything and everything in its place – don’t allow yourself to have a junk box/cupboard/room – deal with it before it becomes a mountain!

• Don’t forget to appeal to all the senses. Obviously visuals are important, but textures, smells, sounds, shapes and colours all play a part in making a house feel like a home.

• With open-plan and live-work spaces ever-popular, the mind can become overwhelmed by too many different functions happening in the same areas. However small your space, try and define areas for different activities to help keep a sense of mental balance for working and relaxing.

• A change, as they say, is as good as a rest. It may be your perception of your home that is tired rather than your home itself. For a budget quick-fix, add new cushions and a throw to your old sofa, or wallpaper your chimneybreast to create a stunning feature wall.

A home makeover can be very cathartic and is cheaper than a weekly trip to the therapist (and, in our opinion, much more fun!) To find out more on the above, or to discuss any of these points in greater depth, visit Myinteriorstylist.com.